Knee Board decisions

The Board finds that the Veteran did not sustain an injury to his left calf during service, and thus does not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Board has found new and material evidence sufficient to reopen the previously denied claim for service connection of a right knee disability as secondary to the service-connected left knee disability. The merits of this issue are being remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to incomplete medical records and the need for VA examinations.

The Veteran's right knee disability is rated as 20 percent disabling, combining the separate ratings for arthritis and meniscal tear. The decision grants higher ratings based on the severity of symptoms.

The Veteran's claims are being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed breathing condition. The Veteran will also undergo an examination to assess the severity of his right knee disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected duodenal ulcer substantially contributed to his death from prostate cancer, and thus grants service connection for cause of death.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his left knee disability and a separate compensable rating for a tender scar is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining updated treatment records and scheduling a new examination.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection of left hip, left knee, and low back disorders. The next step is to determine if these conditions are secondary to his service-connected left ankle disorder.

The Veteran's appeals for increased evaluations for various service-connected disabilities were denied. The claims for cervical spine, low back strain with arthritis, right shoulder, and left knee conditions have been evaluated under the appropriate diagnostic codes.

The Board has determined that no new and material evidence was received to reopen the claims for service connection for bilateral pes planus, bilateral knee/shin disorder, and schizophrenia. As such, these claims remain denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right knee disability, diagnosed as chondromalacia patella and degenerative arthritis, was incurred during his active duty service.

The Board found that the current right knee disability is not related to service or the service-connected left knee disability and therefore denied the claim for service connection.

The case is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records from the Veteran's private chiropractor and providing a VA examiner with an opinion on the etiology of the Veteran's claimed knee disability.

The Veteran's hypertension, hepatitis B, and hiatal hernia with GERD are all rated based on their respective diagnostic codes. The rating for hepatitis C is changed to align with the correct diagnostic code.

The Veteran's claim for increased rating of his psychiatric disability was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his symptoms.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left knee disability is not related to his military service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability as secondary to the Veteran's right knee osteoarthritis. However, the claim for an increased rating for right knee osteoarthritis was denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's right knee disorder is not causally or etiologically due to service, arthritis of the right knee did not manifest within one year of discharge from service, and a current right knee disability is not due to or aggravated by his service-connected left knee or ankle disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right knee disabilities, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between his current knee conditions and his active duty service.